THE TURF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 February 1913, Page 6

THE TURF

DUNEDIN RACES. (United Press Association.) DUNEDIN, This Day. There is sultry weather for the opening of the. Cup meeting. The going is good, and the attendance excellent. Results : Hurdles.—Red Earl 1, Warsaw 2, Staidan 3. Scratched : Rifle Range and Simon Pure. A fine race; won by a head, a length between second and third horses. St. Kivin, the favourite, was fourth. Time, 3.25. Gladbrook Handicap : Mere (J. Beard) 1, Trumphator 2, Seikahore 3. Scratched. Summertime. Won by a head ; same distance between second and third horse ; time, 1.31. . Champagne Stakes: Nightwatch (L. Emmerson) 1. Rinaldo 2, Fender 3. Also started : Whizz and Sea Maid. The five starters ran in line for nearly a furlong, when Rinaldo went to the front and led for a couple of lengths into the straight, where Nightwatch wore him down and won bv nearly a length, Fender ten lengths away. WOODVILLE RACES. WOODVILLE, This Day. The weather is glorious for the first day's racing at the Wocdivjlle autumn meeting. Results: — Hack Hurdles: Knutsford 1, Kauroa 2, Gay Lawless 3. Won by a length. Aema lost his rider. Time, 2.23 l-sth.

The total amount of -the net profits earned by the banks of the Commonwealth and the Dominion, says the last number of the "Australasian Insurance, and Banking Record," established a record, being £2,954,914, as against £2,759,932 reported in 1911, the next highest reported. As in previous years, the profits have accrued from the development of producing industrial and trading business throughout tTie Commonwealth, and not fro- mundue pressure upon the clientele. That the bank parlours have not been carried away by » prosperity that may prove to be largely of a temporary character is shown by the fact that while the profits reported in 1912 exceeded those reported in 1911 by £194,982, the dividends distributed show an increase of only £49,069. out of a total of £2,954,914 the amount distributed is oTily £1,713,453, °. ver £1,200,000 being applied to strengthen the position of the banks, and to enable them to meet unfavourable conditions possible in the future.

Several interesting cases were reported to the Auckland Hospital Board m committee at its last meeting. In one, two children who had occupied the attention of the staff at intervals since 1910, were taken for the cure of hysterical paralysis. Their feet were so doubled up that they could not walk. Cures having 'been effected, they were taught to walk, and wer e discharged. The mother (a tradesman's wife) failed to maintain the good results, however, and after wheeling them about for a while sent the children back to the hospital. This had occurred periodically, and now the woman ■ had herself gone on a two months' holiday to Gisborne. The chairman (Mr. H. Schofield) remarked that such actions were not fair to the board or. to the publis, especially as in the present instance the fees were wofully behind in payment. At his instance, it was decided that the relieving officer should make inquiries and report to the board.

Effects of the Waihi industrial strife have been felt even so far as the Methodist Conference in "Wellington. A proposal in regard to stationing at Waihi was met by an objection that there was no income. "Waihi is settling down now," was the reply, "and there are four cottages there whJch will produce revenue by-'an-by*?." "There are 250 empty houses in Waihi," said a lay delegate from, that town, • "and up to last week four of them belonged to the Primitive Methodist Church, Now one of these houses is let at 4s a week."

A story which contains an excellent moral is being told in Timaru concern ing the insurance of a grain crop, LasO Wednesday a representative of an Insurance Company got into touch with a farmer wh« was having a quantity of grain threshed, and by 10 o'clock the following day a "proposal" for the insurance of the grain was signed. On. the evening of the same day word reached the local manager of the insurance company 'that at about 3 o'clock on that afternoon a spark haa set fire to the far-, mer's grain, and a number of bags had been destroyed. No time was lost by the company in making inquiries, and before 10 o'clock on Friday morning, leas than twenty-four after the proposal fiad' been signed, rthe. farmer's claim for insurance was settled. It is scarcely -necessary to add that the farmer is immensely pleased, not only because he was prudent enough to insure, but also because his losg was made good so, quickly.

Mr. Henry Nairn, in his "Recoil-ac-tions of FoTtv-thrse Years as a Magistrate's Clerk in London," contributed to the "South London Press," states that the late Mr. Selfe —who wa« magistrate at Marl borough-street Police when the "writer was clerk—-rarely got through a, sitting without making a funny remark. Mr. Nairn, recalls how he baffled the court-keeper, who asked him he \you!d have for lunch, fcnd was tol-d, "A chop and a pint of mother-in-law, which he afterwards explained meant "old and bitter" ale, When two wo"nen, both haying the baptismal name f Gra<c. were put in the dock, he con:used the gaoler by looking round, the ■ourt and asking, "Where is the third?" Mr. Elliott was, says Mr. Nairn, one jf the most silent magistrates he had known, and had a peculiar habit of study i.n« the advertisement sheets of Bradshaw the" whole time he was listening to the cases. He invariably said, "Usher, get me Bradshaw," the moment he topk bis seat.